Working to a Brief Tips!

Most work undertaken by media companies or freelancers are mainly produced for a client.  The media companies or freelancers normally have a client brief to work with, the client may be very certain about their ideas which will make the brief very rigid and un-negotiable however some clients maybe very negotiable and open to any ideas from the company or freelancer. The client may give the employee a budget to work with, the employee has to stick to this budget and make sure they can complete the project with the specified amount.

There are a number of different types of briefs in the media industry; the most common types are;

Contractual - a contract between the commissioner and the producer is present in this brief.

Negotiated - the content or cost of the production can be negotiated between the commissioner and the producer.

Formal - these briefs are written using professional and precise language and often to strict legal guidelines.

Informal - these briefs are written very informal so that it is open for the client and producer can discuss and develop ideas in a very relaxed environment.

Commission - this is where the client asks the contractor to submit ideas for a project to a specified cost.

Tender - several prospective contractors provide an estimated and discuss how the product might be produced. The proposals are discussed by the commissioner and one of the tenders chosen.

Co- operative - this brief is shared with other producers, they each take charge of one section of the project.

Competition - this brief provides details of what you have to do by a certain time, there is usually a prize awarded for be product.

 

Pre- Production

 

It is important that you understand the brief given so that when producing the product it is exactly what the client wants and can use.  In order to finish the brief you will need to go through 3 different stages;

·         Pre - Production (Planning the production and making sure all paper work such as risk assessments and call sheets for artists are complete)

·         Production (filming the clients project)

·         Post - Production (Editing and adding effects to make the final outcome)

 

Once you have found out what the client wants in the brief, you can start to discuss and negotiate ideas. Sometimes you may need to come up with other ideas or come up with a different approach to the client’s original idea to make it work. From the beginning of the project, you need to ensure that the client understands the implications of issues such as; copyright, post production time, insufficient budget, over ambitious expectations and any other practical problems you may face.

It is also essential you plan your production carefully and to a organised schedule to make sure that the client receives the product finished and on time.

A successful production relies heavily on pre- production to make sure everything is in place and on time, this may include actors, props, locations etc. During the pre-production stages it is important that health and safety is taken in to consideration. Risk assessments must be completed for a production to take place; cast, costumes, locations and make up must be reviewed to make sure there are no health and safety regulations during the filming process. Risk assessments may include;

·         Assessing when and where team members might be at risk

·         How these risks could be minimised

·         What precautions should be considered prior to production and post-production

·         Who will be responsible for health and safety on and off set

 

Communicating with the client

You must communicate with your client throughout the production process to make sure that you are doing everything right and sticking to their brief, they need to be informed of progress and any potential problems you may face.

 

There are a number of ways a brief can be communicated with you and the client, you may;

·         Have an initial meeting with the client or broadcaster

·         Communicate verbally by telephone

·         Communicate with the client by email or post

·         Meetings can be arranged throughout the production process

 

Broadcasters such as the BBC, Channel 4, Channel 5, ITV and Sky sometimes hold briefing days where they give presentations about what they are looking for and what type of companies or freelancers they need to work on the brief. Having a professional relationship between you and the client is essential because they reply on you to make the finished product how they imagine to it be and achieve what it is originally set out to do. It is important to ask questions about the brief, at the briefing day or initial meeting, and listen carefully to the client to understand what success they want to achieve.

 

Recruiting the right team

Recruiting the right team when working to a brief is essential. To achieve the best final product for the client it is important you recruit the right people to work with you to, sometimes you may consider;

·         Working with people you have worked with before

·         Advertising and interviewing individuals you may think are suitable for the brief

·         Employ freelance personnel

·         Working with people who have been recommended

·         Choosing people to work with because of their knowledge or experience

 

The crew’s requirements on a brief can vary a lot. In television, there will often be a core team working on the project to make sure that all aspects run smoothly. As the production progresses, more team members and experts will generally be recruited at various stages to help with any aspects of the project. Each member of the team will bring a different skill to the project to make sure that it is completed the way the client wants.

 

 

When working to a brief you may come across a lot of limitations and requirements which may force you to change ideas or come up with different approaches for the chosen idea. Keeping in contact throughout the project is very important to make sure they know what stage the brief is up to as well as making sure you are achieving what the clients what’s the product to be like.